Daily Devotion

Lessons from the Titanic

By Dianne Neal Matthews

The Titanic was the largest, most luxurious ocean liner of its time and called "unsinkable" by many. During its first voyage from England to New York City, the British steamer sideswiped an iceberg around 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912.

Two and a half hours later, it broke apart and sank. The ship carried enough lifeboats for only half of its 2,200 passengers and crew. Approximately 1,500 people lost their life.

Many assumed that the iceberg had ripped a long gash in the ship's hull. When the wreck was recovered in 1985, no such tear was found. Researchers learned that the hull was made of steel that became brittle in the frigid North Atlantic waters, causing it to fracture easily during the collision. Some suspect the Titanic was traveling too fast for an area where there was a possibility of icebergs.

One night, Jesus walked on the water, and his disciple Peter wanted to join Him. Peter left the boat and was doing fine until he looked around at the high waves. Then he became terrified and started to sink (Matthew 14:25-30).

Like Peter, we may be accomplishing great things with God's help, and we look around at our frightening circumstances. Then our faith starts to waver, and we get more than a sinking feeling.

At other times, we start to look at our successes and ignore the need to safeguard our spiritual growth. We may start to feel unsinkable, like the Titanic.

But there are always hidden dangers that can wreck our witness and ministry. The only way to safely navigate life is to keep our eyes on Jesus, not on ourself or the circumstances around us. He will help us complete our voyage, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

"Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me." (Psalm 69:1-2, NLT)

Dianne Neal Matthews lives in the Salt Lake City area. Her publishing credits include magazine articles, newspaper features, Bible studies, stories in compilation books, and several daily Devotions including The One Year Women of the Bible (Tyndale House, 2007). She serves as a correspondent for FindingGodDaily.com, and also enjoys speaking and teaching at writers’ conferences. To learn more, visit www.DianneNealMatthews.com or connect with her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/dianne.n.matthews) or Twitter (@DianneNMatthews).